Patti Smith DREAM OF LIFE on PBS

On December 30th , Patti Smith's 63rd Birthday, the documentary DREAM OF LIFE will be making its on-air broadcast premeire as part of the PBS series POV.

Check your local listings to confirm and for rebroadcast times. Meanwhile, today's NY Times has a feature article on the upcoming Patti Smith celebration (including her annual end-of-year concerts at the Bowery Ballroom and a new gallery exhibit (with director Steven Seibring) in the new year.

A Legend as Muse: Patti Smith Fills Role, The New York Times, December 20, 2009

Jonathan Demme directs for theater

Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs, Stop Making Sense) will be directing his first play in NYC this spring:

Apr 7-May 23, 2010
Family Week
by Beth Henley

A year after the death of her son, Claire checks into a recovery center in the desert, searching for a way to cope. When her mother, daughter and sister arrive to participate in "family week," long-dormant traumas collide with recent tragedies in surprisingly comical, shocking and deeply moving ways. United in this family struggle, the women rage and reach out in an effort to reconcile their love with the way things are. Making his theatrical debut, Academy Award-winning director Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) collaborates with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Beth Henley (Crimes of the Heart) on a new version of this bitterly funny play. Acclaimed actresses Rosemarie DeWitt (Rachel Getting Married) and Sarah Jones (Tony Award-winner for Bridge and Tunnel) will join the cast.


"With Jonathan Demme in charge, there’s a guarantee of taste and skill.” -New Yorker

For more information, go to MCC Theater

Baaba Maal completes promo tour at Joe's Pub

Baaba Maal completed a whirlwind visit to the US (Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York), culminating in a sold-out show at Joe's Pub on Saturday October 17th. Billed as IN CONVERSATION WITH BAABA MAAL, the show featured a dialogue between Baaba and MTV's Bill Flanagan, followed by a short acoustic set by Baaba and guitarist Barry Reynolds. Other shows included the UCLA campus and the Chicago Cultural Center, plus live radio appearances on World Cafe and WNYC Soundcheck. [Photos by Kevin Yatarola]

Look for Baaba's return in April for a full tour with band!

Talking Heads STOP MAKING SENSE on BLU RAY TODAY!!!

Get Your Copy Today!

Stop Making Sense Blu-Ray featured in LA Times: 'Pop & Hiss'

Read the full entry here

Bicycle Diaries

Bicycle Diaries

Bicycle Diaries – the title may be an ironic echo of Che Guevara's The Motorcycle Diaries; who knows? – is a deceptively straightforward book, an impressionistic glimpse of some of the cities that Byrne has explored on his pushbike. As anyone familiar with David Byrne's oeuvre might expect, it is not really a book about cycling per se, more a book in which cycling is, if you'll pardon the pun, the cog for Byrne's thoughts about architecture, music, art, travel, politics, religion, kitsch, decay and – a recurring theme – our "quality of life". [cont'd]
source: The Guardian UK

Look for it in bookstores near you!

I Salute You Brother

Jim Carroll - poet & punk icon - died on Friday, leaving behind classic songs ("People Who Died", "Catholic Boy") and a rich written legacy, including the classic novel "The Basketball Diaries".

You can read his obituary from The New York Times.

Patti Smith reminiscence about her friend Jim Carroll in an exclusive interview on the PBS Newshour with Jim Lehrer. . .listen online here.

Toronto International Film Festival 2009

September 10-19 2009

This year’s Toronto International Film Festival (Sept. 10-19) will show 271 feature films and 64 short subjects, most of them premieres, at more than a dozen theaters and multiplexes all over the city.

One Program in Yonge and Dundas Square is the free TIFF Live in Concert series, featuring a terrific batch of music-related films including “The Harder They Come,” “Don’t Look Back,” “The Last Waltz,” “Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man,” “Monterey Pop,” “Woodstock,” “Stop Making Sense,” and more...

source: morningsun.net

Spike Jonze, MoMA & the Wilds Things

The Museum of Modern Art has announced the first-ever exhibition to focus on Spike Jonze, "celebrating his work as a director, producer, cinematographer, writer, actor, choreographer, and sometime stuntman." I love the title of the exhibition, Spike Jonze: The First 80 Years. Apparently Jonze came up with the wry title for the early mid-career retrospective title himself. The exhibition runs October 8th through 18th, 2009, in The Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters. The exhibition covers Jonze's entire filmmaking and television career. Included are Jonze's first two feature films, Being John Malkovich (1999), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Director, and Adaptation (2002), as well as two films that he co-produced: Jackass: The Movie (2002), based on the popular MTV show he helped create, and the documentary Heavy Metal in Baghdad (2008).
source: Brooklyn Vegan

Peep the trailer for his latest release
Where the Wild Things Are

Baaba Maal - TELEVISION

available NOW on iTunes

Rolling Stones Exclusive Clip!

Rolling Stone.com has posted an EXCLUSIVE clip from the 1999 Talking Heads Reunite Press Conference! Click the logo above to watch the clip.
Stop Making Sense is out on Blu Ray October 13th, 2009

by the way...


Isn't this t-shirt awesome!

Man Man & The Phenomenal Handclap Band open for Brazillian Girls!!!

Brazilian Girls (featured on Baaba Maal's new album TELEVISION out this Tuesday 8/25/09) will be hitting the stage October 2nd at the Beach at Governor's Island.

For more information and tickets, click here :)

enjoy!

Playing the Building: An Installation by David Byrne

If you're in London August 8th - August 31st check out the ROADHOUSE where David Byrne (co-founder of Talking Heads) has turned the 160 year old building into an instrument!


Here's footage from the 2008 NYC installation courtesy of BoingBoingTV Enjoy!

New short film directed by Jonathan Glazer

The Dead Weather have called on Jonathan Glazer to direct their new short film "Treat Me Like Your Mother" Check it out!

Directing music videos for Radiohead, Massive Attack, Richard Ashcroft & Jamiroquai to name a few, Glazer's debut film, SEXY BEAST, starring Sir Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone was nominated for Academy Award® Best Supporting Actor, Independent Spirit Awards®: Best Foreign Film, BAFTA®: Best British Film, & Golden Globe Awards: Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.

Check out Jonathan's video roster on the Director's Label

Patti Smith at the MoMa NYC

Deciding to maximize on the Target Free Friday's at New York's Museum of Modern Art, we came across the LOOKING AT MUSIC: SIDE 2 exhibit.
A very cool collection of albums, artwork, posters, journals and other über cool things that'll make you glad you were born in the 70s (or wish you were)
Featured artist include:
Laurie Anderson
Beth B
Judith Barry/Richard Kern
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Ericka Beckman
Blondie
Coleen Fitzgibbon
Bob Gruen
Richard Hell and The Voidoids
James Nares
Glenn O’Brien
The Ramones
Patti Smith
Sonic Youth
Suicide
Talking Heads
Television


"This exhibition looks at the far-reaching and interconnected influence of artists and their musical and literary aspirations in the 1970s and early 1980s. It features photographers and magazines that assiduously documented the crossover between the music and art scenes of the time and highlights the harbingers of a new era of No Wave, hip-hop, house, and garage bands. These groups and activities coalesced at a time when New York, despite financial struggles, was an incubator of innovation. This time of phenomenal successes for a few artists and musicians marked the transition into a new, more commercial decade." - MoMa site

A must-see for anyone whose a fan of Punk, the exhibition is on until November 30th.
enjoy!
-corren

Weekly Popcast: Discovery, Gerald Clayton and Baaba Maal

Baaba Maal performs a song from his new album, “Television,” and talks to Ben Sisario in our studio.
Click here to listen

Enjoy!

Baaba Maal - Electric Lady Studios NYC

With the highly anticipated release of Baaba Maal's latest album TELEVISION - first studio release in over 5 years & due out in the US August 25th - members of the press were privy to a private performance at the historic Electric Lady Studios in the West Village, recording home of Jimi Hendrix.



footage: n.corren conway
photos: kevin yatarola

Baaba Maal, Barry Reynolds, Jim Palmer, and Matumbu

Mandela Day Celebrations - July 18, 2009

Details are emerging on the first "Mandela Day" events, celebrating the birthday of Nelson Mandela. This year events will center in New York City, with a week-long series of tributes and events, culminating in a birthcy celebration concert a Radio City Music Hall. Artists performing in this unique event range from Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder to African superstars Angelique Kidjo and Baaba Maal.

More details on the event can be found on the Mandela Day website.

Michel Gondry's latest is a documentary

Michel Gondry, whose stellar film work ranges from music videos to features, has found a home for his latest work, a documentary about his aunt, entitled "L'epines dans le couer" ("A Thorn in the Heart"). Recently screened at Cannes, the film will be released by Oscilloscope (the video imprint run by those Beastie Boys).

Much of Michel's early work - biographical as well as music-related - can be found on his epic Directors Label DVD, available here.

Directors Label Directors Jonathan Glazer and Anton Corbijn get new assignments. . .

Director Jonathan Glazer has been linked to a new project, based on the novel "Under The Skin". Check out the news on the MTV Movie Blog.

Also from Cannes: Anton Corbijn has been announced as director of a new feature starting George Clooney. Details from Variety.

Baaba Maal: NEW ALBUM PREVIEW ON CNN INTERNATIONAL!!!

Baaba Maal will be featured on the latest edition of CNN International's African Voices. Included will be the world exclusive premiere of the video "Television", as well as Baaba's reminicenses on his musical upbringing and his thoughts on Africa's future.

You can watch the first segment of the half hour interview below, or visit the African Voices webpage for links to the complete show.

Steve Earle's Tribute to Townes Van Zandt

On May 12th, Steve Earle will release his latest CD, "Townes", a tribute to his mentor and friend Townes Van Zandt. Intimately recorded in Steve's living room (and polished off in the studio), "Townes" is a collection of TVZ's songs that mark both a tribute to Townes' majestic songwriting and Earle's masterful way with a song.

Steve's CD will be available at all the usual suspects; for more about Townes, check out Margaret Brown's intimate documentary Be Here to Love Me.

Nelson Mandela makes suprise appearance

Nelson Mandela made a unexpected appearance last week at the ANC conference, to support Zuma's candidacy. See it now on youtube.com:

Patti Smith in Asbury Park - Photos

On Sunday, Patti Smith wowed the crowd with an intimate acoustic performance after the screening of Steven Sebring's DREAM OF LIFE documentary. Here are some shots, courtesy David Verdini.

Special Thanks to the Asbury Park Film Initiative!

Patti Smith DREAM OF LIFE screening in Asbury Park

Patti Smith: DREAM OF LIFE, the feature-length documentary on this music icon, will have a special screening at the home of Jersey Rock, Asbury Park. The showing will be on SUNDAY MARCH 29th 3:00PM at THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE and will feature a post-screening Q&A with Director Steven Sebring and the legend herself Patti Smith. An event not to be missed!

IDRIS ELBA ON "THE OFFICE"

You know him from "The Wire"; you may have seen him on stage or DJing in New York; now, Idris Elba joins "The Office" in a reoccuring role as Michael's boss. Listen to his interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air.

And of course you can see him in a different role, in the cult-classic UK vampire TV series Ultraviolet.

"Ugly Betty" Enters the MoWo

Enjoy Ugly Betty even more. . .this week's episode will feature the track "Tres Tres Chic" from Mocean Worker's disc Aural & Hearty, a classic of hip/loungy/jazzy bachelor pad vibe, and previously featured in the film The Devil Wears Prada. Oh so chic!

Of course, this track is available from our friends at iTunes.

Celebrating "Island 50" in 2009

This year marks the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Island Records. Formed in 1959 by industry legend Chris Blackwell, Island Record has served as the home for some of the most famous (and infamous) artists of the 20th Century: from Bob Marley to U2, Amy Winehouse to Melissa Ethridge, Nick Drake to Grace Jones and beyond.

Follow the events on the Island 50 website.

The Music World Mourns the Passing of John Martyn

Legendary guitarist/singer John Martyn passed away today at the age of 60.

An early non-Reggae signing to Chris Blackwell's Island Records, John Martyn had for over 40 years combined virtuosic guitarplaying and epic songwriting, influencing generations of musicians.  From befriending icon Nick Drake to penning songs covered by everyone from Eric Clapton to Beck, Martyn's influence is wide and deep and lasting.

Visit John's site to learn more.

(photo:  Kevin Yatarola/Joe's Pub)

Klaus Nomi gets love from The New York Times

Times fashion blogger Armand Limnander has documented what fans have always known - the influence of singer / artist / visionary Klaus Nomi is everywhere, even on the runway:    "The Ghost of Klaus Nomi"  (photo: Julie Jacobs)

2009 Sundance Winner Ondi Timoner!!

Congratulations to Ondi Timoner for her latest Sundance award, US Documentary Grand Jury Price for We Live in Public.

In 2004, Ms. Timoner also won the Documentary Grand Jury Prize for her film following the exploits of Brian Jonestown Massacre and Dandy Warhols in Dig!

Nelson Mandela praises Barack Obama

Nelson Mandela and the Obama Presidency

Patti Smith Indictment of George Bush

In honor of George Bush's departure from the Oval Office: here is a live audio clip of Patti Smith in concert, with her unbias review of the Bush administration (this was the before the economy collapsed):





(from the documentary PATTI SMITH: DREAM OF LIFE)

Last chance for William Eggleston exhibit at the Whitney

William Eggleston: Democratic Camera Photographs and Video 1961-2008, a major retrospective on the influencial and controversial photographer, is finishing its run at the Whitney Museum on January 25th. After the New York show, the exhibit will travel the US. Check the Palm website for updated tour information as it becomes available.

Patti Smith: Dream of Life DVD on sale tomorrow

The Los Angeles Times says "Steven Sebring's PATTI SMITH: DREAM OF LIFE is A DREAM OF A MOVIE; gauzy, free-associative & reverberant." Special features include never-seen-before footage and a 16 page booklet with commentary from Patti Smith and Steven Sebring, as well as exclusive photography! Check out the Palm Store for a rockin’ discount or anywhere DVDs are (still) sold.

Back in Action. . .

Thanks for visiting the revitalized Palm Blog. Going forward we hope to let you know about the latest happenings within our group: new projects, recent activities by our talented musicians and directors, random updates and contest notifications, and probably a few discoveries we want to share with you. We're glad you took the time to stop here, and we'll try to keep things tight and not ramble on.